birminghamal.gov
The City of Birmingham, in partnership with regional collaborators, has released the draft Central Alabama Climate Action Plan (CACAP), marking Alabama’s first regional plan focused on reducing climate pollution.
The 291-page draft plan was developed through a $1 million Climate Pollution Reduction Grant awarded to the City of Birmingham by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). While Birmingham administered the grant, the effort reflects a broad regional collaboration involving local governments, organizations, and residents across Central Alabama.
The CACAP serves as a long-term framework to reduce emissions from major sources such as transportation, energy, waste, and industrial activity, while promoting health, resilience, and economic opportunity. The plan includes 18 measures, 68 strategies, and 139 specific actions tailored to urban, suburban, and rural communities throughout the region.
Recommendations range from large-scale policy approaches to local initiatives that municipalities can adopt based on their capacity and resources. Many of the outlined strategies are already underway in Birmingham, including fleet electrification, LED streetlight conversion, and energy efficiency upgrades in public facilities.
The draft plan is a product of more than a year of study and public engagement, including community meetings and virtual discussions. The plan provides a flexible toolkit for cities and counties in the region to customize approaches that best fit their local needs and funding opportunities.
Residents can review and comment on the draft plan through October 22 at CentralAlabamaClimate.com. The plan was presented publicly during two sessions on Wednesday—one virtual and one in-person at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens. It will be submitted to the EPA for review on December 1.
The Central Alabama Climate Action Plan represents a coordinated, regional approach to reducing climate pollution and preparing for the economic and environmental challenges of the future.
